Habits:
Noisy bird which lives in small flocks. Feeds on fruits, small birds and eggs,
insects and carrion and often feeds on the ground. Aggressively mobs raptors.

Range:
Himalayas, NE India, China, Burma and Indochina.
Distribution and Status: A common and widespread species of forest edge, scrub and even
villages. Nominate race is resident in C, SW, S and SE China and Hainan;
alticola occurs in NW and W Yunnan and brevivexilla from S Gansu and S Ningxia
to Shanxi, Hebei, SE Nei Mongol and W Liaoning.

zit. John MacKinnon and Karen Phillipps,
A FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF CHINA. Oxford University Press 2000

There are a
number of passerine birds in the family Corvidae with the name of magpie. They
are medium sized, often colorful and noisy passerine or perching birds in the
family Corvidae, or crow family, closely allied to the jays and treepies (the
names 'jay', 'treepie' and 'magpie' are to a certain extent interchangeable,
not reflecting any genuine genetic difference between the two groups).

Has the same size as the European Magpie, but with a longer tail. The head, neck
and breast are black, the rest of the plumage on the bird is a rich dark blue
to purple in colour. It has white markings on the wings and the tail. The bill,
feet and legs are red, and the iris is yellowish.

Usually found in groups of 6 or more, it appears to avoid any human disturbance and
quickly moves away from such encounters. Its food is similar to that of others
in the genus, taking a wide range of fruits and seeds, insects and other
invertebrates. Wild figs appear to be a favourite.

The nest is usually in a tree or shrub and there are usually 3-5 eggs laid. Both sexes
build the nest and feed the young with only the female incubating them.

The voice is described as a high pitched cackling chatter, kyak-kyak-kyak-kyak.

This is a species of dense wet evergreen rain forest. It is declining due to loss of this
habitat. Sri Lanka Blue Magpie is usually found in small groups of up to six or
seven birds. It is largely carnivorous, eating small frogs, lizards, insects
and other invertebrates, but will eat fruit.

The cup-shaped stick nest is in a tree or shrub and there are usually 3-5 eggs
laid. The eggs are white heavily spotted with brown. Both sexes build the nest
and feed the young with only the female incubating them.

Sri Lanka Blue Magpie is about the same size as the European Magpie at 42-47cm. The
adults are blue with chestnut head and wings, and a long white-tipped tail. The
legs and bill are red. The young bird is a duller version of the adult.

Sri Lanka Blue Magpie has a variety of calls including mimicry, a loud chink-chink and a rasping krak-krak-krak-krak.

is roughly about the size of the Eurasian Jay or slightly
smaller. It is a vivid green in colour, slightly lighter on the underside and
has a thick black stripe from the bill (through the eyes) to the nape. The tail
is quite long and tapered with white tips . This all contrasts vividly with the
reddish fleshy eye rims, red bill and legs. The wing primaries are reddish
maroon also and make this one of the most striking and distinctive members of
the whole family.

It is found from the lower Himalayas in north eastern India in a broad south easterly band
down into central China, Malaysia, Sumatra and northwestern Borneo in evergreen
forest (including bamboo forest), clearings and scrub.

Food is sought both on the ground and in trees and takes a very high percentage of
animal prey from countless invertebrates, small reptiles, mammals and young
birds and eggs. It will also take flesh from a recently killed carcass.

The nest is built in trees, large shrubs and often in tangles of various climbing vines.
There are usually 4-6 eggs laid.

The voice is quite varied but often a harsh peep-peep.
It also frequently whistles and chatters.

Magpie is a symbol of happiness in Chinese culture. The singing of a magpie foretells happiness and good luck. That's why it is called 'Happy Magpie' by Chinese people. The Manchu minority in Northeast China even regards magpies as sacred birds. Legends concerning magpies are found in the historical records about Manzhu.

One day, Fokulon, the goddess from heaven, and her two sisters were playing beside the lake when a beautiful magpie with a red fruit in its mouth flew above them. The magpie dropped the fruit. Fokulon picked it up and ate it. Some months later, she gave birth to a boy, named Bukulirongshun. He was the forefather of Manchu minority.

Bukulirongshun and his descendants were all heroic and skilled fighters. The neighboring tribes all thought of them as a potential threat. They formed an alliance and decided to wipe out the rising tribe. A boy named Fancha escaped the slaughter. The slaughterers discovered this and tried to catch him. Fancha kept running until dusk fell. The boy was almost caught when a magpie lighted on his head. He stood motionless so that he looked more like a tree trunk in the dim field. The hunters did mistake him for a trunk and ran on in another direction. It was the magpie that saved Fancha, the only survivor of the tribe in the genocide.

Fancha was grateful to the bird and believed it to be something sacred, who brought him happiness and good fortune. Generation to generation, Manchu people consider magpies a symbol of happiness and luck. In 1644, a Manchu man became China's emperor and established the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Since Manchu culture has been assimilated into Han culture, the belief that magpies bring happiness is now shared by most Chinese people.

Manzhu / Chinese influences made the magpie the national animal of Korea.